Door hinge and check



4 Sheets-Sheet l 0Q .09 w A w. a a om 8 NP N0. o. Mm m m l P m o as Q. i I- I n 8 W W w W Wm. w LFIIII 1i am i 6w v R a 1 4 March 4, 1952 L. KENNON DOOR HINGE AND CHECK Filed NOV. 26, 1948 March 4, 1952 L. KENNON 2,538,010

' DOOR HINGE AND CHECK Filed Nov. 26, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I z oeavz'o ldf/VNON,

- loo INVENTOR.

, Qty. 50 BY 5 r 0 94 H7 7' GENE 1 8 March 4, 1952 L. KENNON 2,588,010

DOOR HINGE AND CHECK Filed Nov. 26, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 l 5 %M W M W N 3 W m W p w N @N. E W K mm 9. L Y W March 4, 1952 L. KENNON 2,588,010

DOOR HINGE AND CHECK Filed NOV. 26, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 24 (r 6110 'L' F F i l 58 58 W 7'2 Patented Mar. 4, 1952 DOOR HINGE AND CHECK Lorenzo Kennon, Burbank, Calif., assignor to Rice Engineering Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application November 26, 1948, Serial No. 61,959

11 Claims.

My invention relates to door hinges and the like, and particularly to a combined door hinge and check.

Heretofore door hinges which combine the functions of providing damping means to avoid rapid closing or slamming of the doors and at the same time checking means which make it possible for the door to be held open in certain desired positions have existed, but said hinges have had the disadvantage of being large, bulky and heavy, and have thus been generally unadaptable for mounting within the door and, as a consequence, have had to be mounted either in the floor beneath the door or mounted in such a way as to be in the open. Such door hinges thus must alternatively be visible which from an esthetic standpoint is undesirable, or cost considerable expense of installation.

Further, such hinges for the most part are unable, in the swinging type of door, to provide a 360 swing which is often desirable, are 1111- positively held in the closed position, and fail to provide proper means for centering and adjusting. Finally, the door hinges heretofore available have been extremely limited in their load carrying characteristics and thus have been capable of use with but comparatively light doors.

It is consequently my principal object to provide a door hinge and check of such construction as to be light and compact enough to be carried within the door itself, thus being hidden and preserving the esthetic appearance of said door.

It is also my object to provide a door hinge and check capable of use with the heaviest doors, such as bank doors, safe and vault doors, and the like.

Another of my objects is to provide such a door hinge and check which is capable of providing a 360 swing if desired, which is capable of providing easy centering and which, due to the shape of the cam of my door hinge, is capable of positively holding the door in closed position.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide my hinge and check with a simple vertical adjusting means so that easy installation of the door is facilitated.

Finally, I have devised in said door hinge and check a simple, hand actuated means for stopping the travel of the door short of its normal hold-open point where for any reason it is desired that the door self-close after opening rather than be held open.

hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a side elevational view of a door incorporating my door hinge and check;

Figure 2 is an exploded view of the bottom portion of a wooden door, a channel member adapted to be mounted thereon, my door hinge and check and its base plate;

Figure 3 shows a longitudinal sectional view of said hinge and check mounted in its base plate;

Figure 4 shows said hinge and check in closed or centered position;

Figure 5 shows said hinge in hold-open position;

Figure 6 shows said door at the point of a 360 swing;

Figure 7 is a top plan view of the base plate;

Figure 8 shows a modified construction of my door hinge having a different type housing and base plate which is particularly adaptable for glass doors;

Figure 9 shows a cross-sectional view of said modification taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 8;

Figure 10 shows a top plan view of the centering support plate of the base plate assembly shown in Figure 8;

Figure 11 shows a partial view of my door hinge and check incorporating means for stopping the travel of the door short of the hold-open point;

Figure 12 shows a plan view of same, partially in section, and operative to demonstrate the action of such stopping means;

Figure 13 shows an upper pivot structure for mounting the wooden door in its frame;

Figure 14 shows such a structure for mounting the glass door; and

Figure 15 shows in perspective my door hinge and check cam and follower.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to the structure shown in Figures 1 through '7 and in Figures 13 and 15, it will be seen that a channel member 20 is adapted to be aflixed to the bottom portion of the door 22, said channel 20 receiving the hinge and check means 24. As shown by Figure 13, the door is pivoted in :its upper frame or header by a rounded pivot pin 25 which is received in a bearing socket within the door consisting of a flanged shell 28 held by screws threaded a cylinder 42. Said cylinder 42 carries slidably a piston 44 threadably connected to a piston shaft 45 which extends into said bore of the housing 38 and which carries a cam follower 48, best shown in Figure 15. The cam follower 48 is adapted to slide within the housing 38 and cooperates with a cam 59. The cam best shown in Figure 15, consists of an upper pin 52, a bearing seat 54, a pair of wedge-shaped contour cam faces 55 and El, an arcuate face 55, a radial bearing pin 58 and a flattened pin extremity 60.

Press-fitted into the upper portion of the housing 38 is a housing cover plate lsa which receives a thrust bearing insert 62 having an annular race which receives the ball bearings 64- which ride about the upper pin 52 and on the bearing seat 54. The flattened pin extremity 6B of the cam 50 is received in a slot 6% in the base plate 68 which is supported on base plate 34 and screwed to the flooring, thrust being taken. up by the said plate 88 against the bottom portion of the'pin 53. A radial bearing insert It is pressed into the housing 38, and in order to retain grease or other lubricant within the housing an O-ring 12 encircles the pin 58. It is thus seen from the foregoing description that the entire weight of the door is supported by channel 25, the bearing insert 62, the ball bearings t4, the cam 59 itself, and the base plate 68, providing a transfer of the thrust load through the said. cam to the flooring.

The cylinder 42 is of course filled with fluid. and about the shaft 4.6 is provided a collar 14 against which abuts a compression spring 16. The spring 16 also abuts the housing 33 and said spring is preloaded by a pin i8 which retains the collar 14. An O-ring Bil is provided about the shaft 45, and the. cylinder is additionally sealed by a washer 82 and a gasket 84. The outer extremity of the cylinder 42 is capped by a threaded insert 86 and sealed by an O-ring 83. a

The piston 45 which is encircled by an O-nng 90 is adapted. to. slide back and forth in the cylinder. As will be explained hereinafter, said piston, in the view shown in Figure 3, moves to the left against the spring l6 upon opening of the door, and to the right against fluid restraint upon closing the door. A transverse bore 92 is provided in the shaft 46 communicating with a longitudinal bore 93. in said shaft which in turn communicates with a counterbore d6 opening to the exterior side of the cylinder t2. Within said counterbore is a ball check valve 98. retained in place by a perforated washer 189. Also provided in the. piston 44. is a bore N2 in which is inserted a metering wire Hi4. Thus, when the door is opened, said. opening will be against the resistance of spring 75, the ball check valve 98 opening and. permitting fluid to flow freely through the bores 9.2. and 93 to the counterbore 96 and through the perforated washer I00. On the other hand, upon closing the door the piston 44 is urged to slide to the right by the spring 16,. but said sliding will be against fluid pressure which seats the ball 58, the speed of said closing being controlled by the amount of passage of fluid through the bore 92. It will be appreciated that said speed is easily controlled by the diameter of the metering wire I64.

In operation, and with particular reference o ures 4, 5 and; 5, Figure 4 shows the position of the door hinge and check when the dOor is closed. or centered. It will be understood from the foregoing discussion that said door: hinge. and check is enclosed in the channel 20 at; the hottom of the door. In this position the spring 16, being preloaded, urges the follower 48 against the cam 50, the follower lobes Hi6 and I0! bearing against the faces 56 and 51, respectively, of the cam. It will be noted that due to the wedgeshaped contour of said cam faces, a wedging action takes place between. the follower and cam which insures stability of the door in its closed position without locking.

Figure 5 shows a View of the door hinge and check after it has been opened and rotated from the position of Figure 4. In this operation, it will be seen that the follower lobe l0! of the follower 48 has ridden along the cam face 51, thus sliding the said follower 43 transversely in the housing 38 in a direction away from the cylinder 42, thus compressing the spring 16. As the follower lobe l0? passes over its matching cam lobe I08, it will likewise be seen that the resultant of forces between the follower and cam no longer urges the door hinge and check and thus the door counterclockwise and that hold-open position is effected. Conversely, when the door is rotated counterclockwise from the position shown in Figure 4, the follower lobe I06 rides on the cam face 58, similarly compressing the spring 16 until it reaches the cam lobe I09 whereupon the hold-open position in the counterclockwise direction is reached.

Figure 6 shows the position of the door hinge and check when the door has been rotated beyond the hold-open positions just described and has assumed a position from the closed position. It will be appreciated that in this operation there is no resultant torque from the spring 16- acting upon the cam 59 tending to rotate same; Instead, all rotation on the open side of the closed position between hold-open positions is free and unaffected by the spring 16, It will also be appreciated that in the practice of my invention it is not necessary that the aforesaid 360 travel of the door be utilized. Thus in a single doorway, one would be but concerned with the positions between closed and hold-open and perhaps slightly beyond hold-open. On the other hand, where double openings are to be used, the instant door hinge and check is capable of adapting a single door to be hinged midway between two: openings and revolved as desired from a closed position on one side to a closed position on the other side, i. e., through 360. It will be noted that in this latter regard, my door hinge is not only adaptable for doors as such, but for other closures.

In connection with the above description of the operation of my invention, therefore, it will be seen that a door containing same is held by virtue of the. wedging action between cam and follower in a positive closed position, and that opening same to either of the hold-open positions is accomplished against the spring 16, travel beyond said positions being free.

In closing. the door it will be noted that movement of the door to closed position from the position of Figure. 5 is accomplished against fluid pressure as metered through the bore I02. The reason for this is that opening to the hold-open position moves the follower 48 away from the cylinder 42 and thus slides the piston to the left in said cylinder against thespring 16. Conversely, in closing the door from the position in Figure 5. or its opposite hold-open position, the follower will be caused by the spring 16' to move towards the cylinder 42, thus sliding the piston to the right. But since the ball check 98' closes the bore 93 during this operation, the piston can only move as rapidly as fluid passes through said bore I02. Consequently, while opening the door is against the spring 16, the closing of said spring is checked by the fluid in the cylinder so that the door will close at the same rate as the spring. It will be noted that such checking can be regulated and the speed of door closing adjusted by choosing a diameter for the wire I04 which permits passage of the proper amounts of fluid. It will be further noted that as the door is urged closed by the spring 16 and the spring closes against the fluid pressure in the cylinder 42 to the position shown in Figure 4 and reaches said position, oscillation or over-travel of said door is substantially eliminated b virtue of the wedging action between cam and follower, a, positive centering or closing of the door being quickly accomplished. Finally, it will be noted that neither the spring 16 nor the fluid pressure in the cylinder 42 affects the travel of the door either in opening or in closing when the door is operating between the hold-open points on the other side of the normal closed or centered positions. The reason for this is that the back side of the cam is arcuate and thus the follower 48 does not move with respect to the housing 33 during such operation.

In Figures 8, 9, and 14, there is shown an adaptation of my door hinge and check to glass or metal doors, and there is also shown a modification of the base plate assembly which is adaptable either for the door hinge and check of Figure 8 or for the door hinge and check heretofore described. The said door hinge and check of Figure 8 is in all respects the same as is the aforedescribed embodiment, and like parts have been numbered as like parts except that the housing 38 in Figure 8 is shown as having a boss II 0 at one extremity and a threaded extension H2 of the insert 66 at the other extremity. Instead of holding the door hinge and check within the channel 20, as shown in the aforedescribed modification, the door hinge and check is held within the door rail I I4 which is retained, for example, on the lower edge of a glass door II6 by a bolt I I8 through the boss H0 and a, bolt I through an angle I22 clamped on the threaded extension II2 by a nut I24. The rounded extremity 60 of the bearing pin 53 is provided with tapered side faces I26 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The base plate shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10, instead of comprising a simple slotted plate, constitutes three plates; an anchor plate I28, a,

centering plate I30 and aclamping plate I32, in addition to an optional cover plate I34. The anchor plate I28 is provided with a center bore I36 and countersunk holes I30 to receive the screws I40 which anchor said plate to the flooring. Also provided in the anchor plate I28 are threaded holes I42 placed at 120 intervals and adapted to receive the clamping screws I 44. The centering plate I30 is adapted to lie atop the anchor plate I 28 and is provided with slotted.

studs I46 and I48 disposed centrally on its opposite faces. Said studs are provided with tapered interior faces to coact with the tapered sides I26 of the rounded pin extremity 60, and it will be noted that the stud I48 is relatively higher whereas the stud I46 is relatively lower in relation to a plane bisecting the centering plate. The studs I46 or I48 are adapted to be received in the bore I36 of the anchor plate I 28.

Additionally, the centering plate I30 is provided.

V ceive the screws I44.

In assembling the supporting plate assembly, the anchor plate is first screwed to the flooring by the screws I 40; the centering plate is then placed over said anchor plate and the clamping plate placed over the centering plate. The screws I44 may be dropped into the holes I56 through the slots I50 and threaded into the holes I42. Before tightening up the screws I44, however, the door is positioned and centered, as will hereinafter be described.

The upper pivot assembly of Figure 13 may of course be used in connection with the construction shown in Figure 8 but for the purpose of glass or metal doors, I prefer the modification shown in Figure 14 which consists in an anchor plate I58 adapted to be supported by the screws I60 flush in a recess in the door frame or header I62, and bored for a pivot pin I64 which is carried by an adjusting plate I66. The adjusting plate I66 normally rests atop the anchor plate I58 but is bored to threadably receive the shank of a screw I68 which extends through a counterbored hole I10 in the anchor plate I58. The pin I64 is adapted to be received in a needle bearing I12 pressed in the socket I14 in a stud I16 which is carried by an anchor plate I18 ai'fixed by the screws I to the upper door rail I82. The purpose of the adjusting plate I66 and screw I68 is to permit a withdrawal of the pin I64 upwardly through the anchor plate I58 in order to permit the door to be centered under said pin I64 so that it may later be dropped into the needle bearing I12.

In installing a door in conjunction with the upper pivot assembly of Figure 14 and the supporting base plate assembly just described, the screw I60 is turned until the pin I 64- may be pushed flush with the anchor plate I58, in which position it may be retained by adhesive, Scotch tape, or by other handy means. The door in which is carried my door hinge and check is then brought adjacent the supporting base assembly to the appropriate position of its installation. By virtue of the rounded pin extremity 60, it is not necessary to drop the pin 58 directly into the slotted stud I48, which would be diflicult due to space limitations, but rather the door may be disposed at an angle from the vertical and the said rounded pin extremity 60 inserted into the stud I 48, after which the door is raised to its proper vertical position, dropping the pin into the said stud. The retaining means for the pin IE4 is removed and said pin I64 permitted to drop'into the bearing I12, the screw I60 being threaded backinto-the adjusting plate I66, and the door is installed ready for centering. In centering the door in its proper closed position, advantage is taken of the slots in the centering plate I30. Since the anchor plate I26 is fixed in the flooring by the screws I40 and the clamping plate I32 fixed with respect to said anchor plate by the screws I44, and since the door hinge and check itself is fixed in the stud I48, it is but necessary to turn the door and thus the centering plate I30 until the door reaches its proper cally closes same.

clamped between the immobilefplates I28 and I32 and the installation .job completed.

Reference has been made to the fact that the stud I48 is higher with respect to a plane bisecting" the centering plate I30 than is the stud. I46. Reference has also been made to the tapered inside surfaces of the slots in said studs. The purpose of these features is, first, that the tapered surfaces coact with the tapered surfaces I26 of the rounded pin extremity 60 to avoid any possibility of rattling and the like by the door. The difference in heights in the studs on the other hand is to enable the installer to selectively choose the clearance between the threshold or flooring and the bottom of the door. Thus when the centering plate I30 is installed, as shown, with the stud I48 uppermost, more clearance is provided between the flooring and the door, whereas if the installer desires to assemble the centering plate I30 in reversed position with the stud H46 uppermost, less clearance between the flooring and door would be provided. Frequently, because of irregularities in the contour of the flooring, it becomes necessary that the hinge edge of the door be at a relatively greater distance from the flooring or a relatively lesser distance from the floor, and it is this feature of my invention which enables the installer to easily and with little trouble accommodate the door to the flooring.

Finally, Figures 11 and 12 shows a means whereby my door hinge and check is prevented from reaching the hold-open position. Since, as heretofore explained, in the opening of the door the follower 48 must travel away from the cylinder 42, I have provided astopping pin I84 carried by a mounting plate I 86 affixed to the channel 20 or rail H4 and insertable through said channel or rail and through a hole bored in the side wall of the housing 38. When said pin I84 is inserted into the housing, the cam follower. 4B is unable, as shown. in the dotted portion of Figure 12, to retract sufficiently to enable the follower lobe III! to pass beyond the came face 51 and therefore hold-open position is not reached and a release of the door automati- It is of course obvious that where hold-open is desired, the pin I84 may be retracted from the housing 38 and suitable stop means may be provided in said pin to prevent its possible loss in being retracted from the housmg.

My invention therefore comprises the afore described door hinge and check adaptable for use with divers doors, windows, or other pivoted members. It provides hold-open means in both directions of opening, permits a full 360 travel if desired, and automatically closes from the hold-open position at a predetermined speed. The door in its closed position is positively held and not subject to rattling or oscillation due to wind and the like, and in installation is easily adjusted to proper centered position, and is likewise adjustable vertically with respect to the floor.

While there has been described what is at present considered preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made without'departing from the essence of the invention, and it is intended to cover herein all such modifications and changes as come within the true scope and spirit of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A. device of the class described comprising: a stationary hinge pin, said hinge pin including a Wedge-shaped cam portion; a hinge housing pivotally carried by said hinge pin; a fluid check cylinder mounted on said housing; piston means reciprocable in said cylinder and resiliently connected with said housing; and a cam follower transversely slidable with respect to said hinge pin within said housing carried by said piston means and resiliently urged against said cam.

2. A device of the class described comprising: a stationary hinge pin, said hinge pin having a cam portion including a pair of wedge-shaped cam faces; and a hinge, said hinge including a housing pivotal carried by said hinge pin, and a cam follower slidable in said housing having follower lobes resiliently bearing against said cam faces to normally restrain said hinge in a closed position and to permit two-way opening of said hinge.

3. A device of the class described comprising: a stationary hinge pin, said hinge pin having a cam portion consisting of a pair of wedge-contoured faces and an arcuate face; a hinge, said hinge including a housing pivotally carried by said hinge pin; and a cam follower slidably carried within said housing, said cam follower including a pair of follower lobes resiliently urged against said cam faces to normally restrain said hinge in a closed position, each of said lobes being ridable over a wedge face to open said door in a selected direction, and said lobes being ridable over said arcuate face to provide a 360 travel of said hinge.

4. A device of the class described comprising: a stationary hinge pin, said hinge pin having a cam portion consisting of a pair of wedge-contoured faces and an arcuate face; a hinge housing pivotally carried by said hinge pin; a fluid 7 check cylinder mounted on said housing, piston means reciprocable in said cylinder and resiliently connected with said housing; and a cam follower slidable in said housing and carried by said piston means, said cam follower including a pair of follower lobes resiliently urged against said wedge-contoured faces to normally restrain said hinge. in a closed position but to permit selective opening of said hinge ineither direction, a follower lobe riding over a wedge face during such cam portion consisting of a pair of wedge-contoured faces and a contacting face; a hinge housing pivotally carried by said hinge pin; a fluid check cylinder mounted on said housing, piston means reciprocable in said cylinder and resiliently connected With said housing; and a cam follower slidable in said housing and carried by said piston means, said cam follower including a pair of follower lobes resiliently urged against said wedge-contoured faces to normally restrain said hinge in a closed position but to permit selective opening of said hinge in either direction, a, follower lobe riding over a wedge face during such opening and beyond said wedge face upon opening beyond a predetermined distance, to said contacting face whereupon said hinge is no longer constrained to a closed position.

6. A device of the class described comprising: a stationary hinge pin, said hinge pin having a cam portion including a pair of wedge-shaped cam faces; and a hinge, said hinge including a housing pivotally corried by said hinge pin, and a cam follower slidable in said housing having follower lobes resiliently bearing against said cam faces to normally restrain said hing to a closed position but ridable each over a cam face to permit constrained two-way opening of said hinge; and an abutment insertable in said housing behind said follower whereby to prevent said follower lobes from riding beyond said cam faces.

7. A device of the class desribed comprising: a

stationary hinge pin, said hinge pin having a cam portion consisting of a pair of wedge-contoured faces and an arcuate face; a hinge housing pivotally carried by said hinge pin; a fluid check cylinder mounted on said housing, piston means reciprocable in said cylinder and resiliently connected with said housing; a cam follower slidable in said housing and carried by said piston means, said cam follower includin a pair of follower lobes resiliently urged against said wedge-contoured faces to normally restrain said hinge in a closed position but to permit selective opening of said hinge in either direction, a follower lobe riding over a wedge face during such opening and beyond said wedge face to said arcuate face upon opening beyond a predetermined distance whereupon said hinge is no longer constrained to a closed position but travels freely over said arcuate face; and an abutment insertable in said housing behind said follower whereby to check slidable movement of said follower at a predetermined position during the opening of said hinge and prevent the riding of said follower lobes beyond said wedge faces.

8. A device of the class described comprising: a stationary hinge pin, said hinge pin having a cam portion consisting of a pair of wedge-contoured faces; a hinge housing pivotally carried by said hinge pin; a fluid check cylinder mounted on said housing, piston means reciprocable in said cylinder and resiliently connected with said housing; a cam follower slidable in said housing and carried by said piston means, said cam follower including a pair of follower lobes resiliently urged against said wedge-contoured faces to normally restrain said hinge in a closed position but to permit selective opening of said hinge in either direction, a follower lobe riding over a wedge face during such opening and beyond said wedge face upon opening beyond a predetermined distance whereupon said hinge is no longer constrained to a closed position; and a pin insertable in said housing behind said follower whereby to check slidable movement of said follower at a predetermined position during the opening of said hinge and prevent the riding of said follower lobes beyond said wedge faces.

9. In a device of the class described: a hinge pin having a flattened extremity; a hinge pivotally supported thereby; and a base support, said support including an anchor plate, a rotatable plate having a center slot adapted to receive said hinge pin extremity and radially removed positioning slots, said plate seating on said anchor plate, and a clamping plate; and threaded connecting elements between said anchor plate and said clamping plate; said elements passing through said positioning slots whereby to permit rotating said rotatable plate and said hinge pin to desired position preparatory to clamping said plate.

10. In a device of the class, described: a hinge pin; a hinge pivotally supported thereby; and a base support, said support including an anchor plate, a rotatable plate having a center recess adapted to splineably receive said hinge pin, said plate seating on said anchor plate, and a clamping plate, said rotatable plate being clampable between said clamping plate and said anchor plate but prior to said clamping being rotatably positionable to rotate said hinge pin to desired position.

11. A device of the class described comprising: a stationary hinge pin, said hinge pin having a cam portion including a pair of wedge-shaped cam faces; and a hinge, said hinge including a housing pivotally carried by said hinge pin, and a cam follower slidable in said housing having follower lobes resiliently bearing against said cam faces to normally restrain said hinge to a closed position but ridable each over a cam face to permit constrained two-way opening of said hinge; and means to prevent said follower lobes from riding beyond said cam faces.

LORENZO KENNON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 

